>> and the first words out of her mouth were, pop, can you believe that game? i said no, i can't. and we would talk to -- about the game a little bit and then i heard a knock. there was a knock on the door. >> reporter: he overheard a man telling sherry his car broke down and could he use the phone to call for help. it was the last time they would talk and sherry was found dead an hour and a half later. she was bound, shot, and left hanging in a burning basement. >> and show would help anyone and that that could have been her downfall. she opened the door to help someone in need and. >> reporter: a man was indicted for the murder but charges were dropped when evidence appeared to clear him. the sheriff's office thinks newly tested forensic evidence may hold the key to the case. >> and we assigned new

detectives to the case january of this year. they specialized in working on just this cold case. after a lot of times dedicated to the investigation, we're fortunate at this point that we have come to a new key piece of evident and, based on this evidence, it will allow us to identify a person or person or persons that were at the scene. >> reporter: a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said that the evidence is dna. >> sherry was not only missed but very much loved by everybody. you will have to excuse me. but i miss my baby. >> reporter: john ambry said after all of this time, he's hopeful the investigation is on the right path. >> and that is refreshing that they're working on it diligently and we're all in hopes that something will come

of this. >> reporter: investigators believe the killer was not alone that night n. this open letter from the sheriff publishd this morning in the local culpeper paper, he asked for that person to step forward and said, quote, remove this burden and fear from your conscience and mind. you can see the entire letter at www.myfoxdc.com. will. >> certainly a heartbreaking story, paul. thank you. following a news alert from mont groomery county. police investigating a shooting that took place inside north gate park. that is in the aspen hills section of the county. investigators say one person was shot and shot in the eye. police have launched an all-out search for the gunman. and new tonight at 6, the nra is commenting for the first time since the school shooting tragedy out in connecticut. it released a statement that said in part, here we go. the association is made up of 4

million bombs and -- moms and dads, sons and daughters, saddened and heartbroken by the news of this horrific and senseless murders in newtown. the nra is prepared to make sure this never happens again. the statement comes as children of newtown return to class today and the community buried more shooting victims. fox 5s jennifer davis is joining us now from newtown, connecticut. so, i understand that security was set up in place to make some of those kidos and parents feel more secure. >> reporter: it was, will. you're absolutely right. they had security at all of the schools so that students would know that they were safe when they got there and they returned to all schools, except for sandy hook students. they're waiting for their new school to be ready. they're working on a middle school that has not been used, trying to re-create the premassacre and taking art work there and hanging it on the walls, taking the small desks there and hope in the coming days to have that middle school ready for them.

the dichotomy of what is going in town was evident here on the main strip as -- strip as -- strip as you saw, all of the car his to pull over as a funeral procession went by for one of the two six-year-olds buried today and later, we saw school buses going down the street. as life begins to get back, it's hard to use the word normal, but a process they're dealing with one funeral after another here. >> and we saw school buses with ribbons on the grill. no one forgetting any time soon. what about that decision to send children back to school in that was not a requirement, right? >> no, i can tell you as you wander around, you hear other people talking that for a lot of families, this is proving to be a difficult choice, whether the student survived the sandy hook massacre or another school, a lot of students are afraid to go and there is still a good deal of fear here, and anxiety. but then, there are a lot of people who say we have to get them back.

there is a karate school next to where we're doing live shots and they opened up the first time tonight and hope that some students will come back for karate class, even though they did lose a number of students during the massacre and that is just, you know, it's going to be a process here and a long one for families. >> trying to get back to normal. thank you, jennifer davis in newtown. the children in newtown returned to school today. everyone but students except students from sandy hook elementary school. the first time they were back in the classroom since the tragic shootings. the coverage continues with lisa evers in newtown. >> reporter: kudos to the parents who had the courage to send their children back. you need a lot of crown right now. >> reporter: a welcome back sign was posted at newtown middle school and so were police. they made sure that only students, staff, and parents were let in at the elementary school, well-wishers left a teddy bear, candle, and flowers.

at the miss -- dismissal time, police carefully checked the i.d. of drivers pulling in and other parents came on foot, staying close by their children's sides. >> to be a mom themselves and to be with people who share this experience that the rest of us can't imagine will be helpful for them. >> reporter: before this reopening, hundreds of teachers and staff attended special sessions on monday with child bereavement experts and mental health counselors so they know what to expect and some saw school as a welcome distraction for a community still saying goodbye ander abouting its victims who are never far from their thought iss. >> happen right now and they going to be watching over all of us. >> reporter: the chalk hill school is getting ready to take in the sandy hook students in january. the students and parents will be able to get a tour this week to know what to expect when classes resume in january. in newtown, i'm lisa evers, fox

5 news. the late of the the fiscal cliff, the deadline is two weeks away. both sides are talking and no deal yet. the house speaker is willing to let taxes rise on people making more than 1 million a year and president obama has to come up with deeper spending cuts. >> what the white house offer -- offered yesterday was 1 went 3 million in revenues. >> the latest plan would raise taxes on families earning more than 400,000 a year and a deal could be close. house republicans say that they're working on a plan b to prevent taxes from going up on all of us come january 1st. an voters strongly disapprove the way the republicans are handling the fiscal cliff. they find 59% are unhappy and 17% of americans approve the way the gop is handling

negotiations. fifty% disapprove of how president obama and congressional democrats are negotiating. and 38% approve. the woman at the ceer of the petraeus sex scandal will not face cyberstocking charge. the justice department announced it won't pursue the mist res and that is as part of the investigation n. november, petraeus resigned as cia director after admitting the affair. the relationship was exposed after an e-mail exchange between broadwell and a florida social light, which triggered an investigation. five days of terror. straight ahead on the news edge at 6, a u.s. journalist and his team make a daring escape after being held hostage in syria. the details are coming your way as we continue. and what is ahead in the forecast. >> we hope the winds will settle down later. and at this hour, they're still gusting to 30 as colder air comes rolling back into town. i will let you know what to expect for your wednesday.

scott, what are you working on in sports? >> the ride skins concerns will be on the quarterback to the guys protecting that, the injuries to the offensive line may mean a shuffling to the bodies up front. details are ahead in the sports edge. 

. a new sense of urgency. we'll look inside. and a lot of interesting things while riding on the subway. you have ever seen a piano board? there you go. i thought i saw it all. jesse got on the train with her owners and needless to say, everyone was surprised. some even took pictures of the pony with the cameras. or video like this one and didn't seem to mind it at all. speculating that the pony

belongs to a circus. why it's on the train ismy a mystery. we'll be right back. back.  

. a one-of-a-kind center is putting agents to test allowing first responders to practice real-life antiterrorism measures. >> it really tried to reconstruct a miniature world here with terror attack after terror attack and the goal is to put federal responders into position, a real pressure. >> let's go. >> reporter: at the federal law enforcement training center in brunswick, georgia, theyoused blank ammunitions -- . >> freeze! >> reporter: and real actors. >> you can't simulate people. you have to use people to

simulate behavior. >> reporter: 60,000 federal agents a year come to the 1600- acre site complete with mock airplanes, bars, and a test track and the important thing is location. no embankments, no brims, and no congestion. terror aent -- events from the pass like a sarin gas subway attack are rehearsed alongside potential future attacks like prime vised explosive devices. >> and we're not pre-- we're prepared domestically we'll be prepared for a threat in the united states. >> reporter: it's only part of the mission. >> we can't afford to just respond to incidents anymore. we have to prevent things from happens. >> reporter: in light of last week, you can tell there is a real sense of urgency working to prevent future attacks. in brunswick, georgia, steve hairy gan, fox news. controversial airport scanners are under review.

the national academy of sciences is studying the affects of radiation from the machines. the tsa contends the full body scan is safe. in most recent reports, it shows the passenger would have to be screened 17,000 times a year. not a bad day and still felt kind of warm and we waiting for the ball to drop. >> and winter officially starts on friday. >> sure. >> there is something else going on allegedly. the wind is the story today, too, and we got up to 62 degrees. we have a good amount of sun and that is delightful. then we step out and it's like yikes. >> it makes it feel more cold. >> and. >> a lot of gusts over 30 miles an hour and getting that. now, the next few hours, i think that is going to get greatly diminished. the wind will be getting better and maybe a bit of a breeze tomorrow and otherwise, wednesday is looking terrific.

62 degrees and that is above the average. dulles and bwi into the upper 50s and that is still a factor and that is on the eastern shore and this is the cold air. fifty in the district and 47 at dulles, 44, hagerstown and cumberland. it's going to be a cold night. to the north, chicago, pittsburgh down to 39, 38 degrees and columbus, 39; beckley, 36. not the coldest we have seen and that is a noticeable difference and even here tomorrow, i think we can do some 50s. meanwhile, the wind we have been buzzing about this afternoon and gusting to 30 even at this hour at reagan national. annapolis to 26 and baltimore, 25; as you get farther to the west, and that is easing up from d.c. to the east now and in the next few hours, we believe that will get better and we have a few showers

around. the skies are generally trying to clear and had that bubblen and popped one or two showers here and there and that is decreasing as well. at the surface tomorrow, we're looking at the high pressure getting in and that is what we're accepting. this is the thing about thursday, i don't think we have seen much in the way of showers until after dark and this is going to come through and be blustery on the other side of it with snow in the mountains. watch the future cast. nothing tomorrow and a dry day on thursday. we start to e the rain coming in from the west and that is to the west. and just an increase in clouds for us. by 6:00, perhaps a first of the showers start rolling -- ruling on through and here comes the.

six inches or more possible in the mountains and we might be talking about a winter storm watch out there, the second of the season. tonight, though, we're dropping to the 30s, chillier than last night. and i think that is going to be a niced with and most of thursday is dry and that is blustery and christmas eve, dry at 44 and that is a good forecast for travelers. >> not bad and when say snow in the west, we get closer to the tv. and looking ahead to the 10:00 news, fox 5 investigates the death of a monasses toddler. it happened during a visit with his father. now, the incident sparked questions into two other deaths. fox 5's sherri ly has a preview of a story you will see right

here on fox 5. >> reporter: harrah mccloud has no cute who she believes is responsible for the death of her 15-month-old son prince. he died in conduct on his father. joaquin rams was given visitation despite a detective's testimony that rams was a suspect in a prior murder. >> there were points of failure in this and i think that when it comes down to it, there is going to be lots of finger pointing and i think prince william county will point to manassas. any one of the people could have stopped this. >> and rams didn't answer calls to a cell phone number given to us and the attorneys didn't return our calls either. tonight at 10, we'll tell you

why the prior murder is not the only case investigators are looking at more closely. will? >> all right, we'll see you at 10. as the 6 continues, the redskins offensive line remained largely in tact until now. our changes are looming on are changes loom something scott smith is coming up next with the sports edge. edge. . >> hi, i'm lieutenant colonel blanding, currently in afghanistan, southwest asia and sending holiday greetings to my darling husband jervais. happy holidays, i love you and miss you. i'll see you soon. 

. i'm scott smith with the sports edge. the redskins can clench the play-offs this weekend if they beat the eagles.

they need the giants, bears, and vikings. and congrats to the skins star for winning the 2012 courage award. he battled back after a season- ending knee injury last year and a critical part of the line. he finished the sunday's game in place of the injured will montgomery who suffered a sprained mcl and suffering a concussion. back up, jordan black was suspended four games by the league for positive performance- enhancing drug tests and mike shanahan said if montgomery can't go this week, they have options. >> we know corey can play the center position. chris chester can play the center position. larvius and getis can play the center position. when you play the guard position, do you switch off at center, at some point better than others. when you have that, you try to have them have a responsibility. when you dress that for a game, that guy that plays guard has

to play center if someone goes down or moves in that position and you try to change them up all of the time and if there is a problem, you can adjust to it. >> last night, still in the play-off on two minutes to go and down four. sanchez, double pumps and intercepted at the one-yard line. the fourth int for the game, 45 seconds left. and jets with the chance at the titans 25. sanchez fumbles the ball. the fumble recovered by the titans and they eliminated from the play-offs. sanchez with 50 turnovers in the last two years. and this is tebow time. the mystics announced the hiring of the new head coach mike tebow and he spent the last 10 years with the wnba's connecticut son taking them to it eight -- to eight play-offs

appearances. >> for all of the fans back there, the bandwagon is big enough to get on and we'll take all to get back on and we have a lot to prove. we know that and there is no miracles, it's about hard work. >> did you ask around the league? mick tebow's name, highly respected and recognized? not only coach of the year, but his love of the women's game. >> and in the nba, the wizards host the hocks tonight. will? >> and thank you, scott. that is a wrap for 6:00. we'll so you at 10 and the news edge at 11. www.myfoxdc.com. always on. hey, look! a shoototing star!

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